Friday, April 26, 2013

It’s coming up to three
years ago since I first entered Harlequin Mills and Boon's online New Voices
competition. A somewhat anxious author with zero confidence, I’d always
been reclusive about my writing. My finger inevitably hovered over that ‘send’
button right up until about fifteen minutes before the deadline.

It’s a tough competition to
enter – anyone who took part in New Voices or SYTYCW will know that. I don’t
just mean in terms of the amazing standard of work that gets uploaded, I mean
emotionally too.

I had a lot invested in my
entry. At that time, almost fourteen years of work. That’s how long I’d been
creating the world of Blackthorn – producing stories, world building and
pulling together overarching plotlines. I entered New Voices for one simple
reason – to find out if I had what it took to write romance. It was a potential
make or break situation in terms of my future writing plans.

Blood Roses, my 2010 entry,
made it into the final. I was thrilled when the same thing happened again in
2011. This time it was with Blood Shadows (previously known as Beguiling The
Enemy) – another book in the Blackthorn series.

Despite a positive response
from editors at HQN, my dark paranormal romances weren’t right for Nocturne. In
some ways it almost felt inevitable. ‘Fitting in’ has never been my forte. I tried
not to let it set me back – and the amazing support I got from fans that I generated
from that competition kept my self-belief sufficient enough to keep trying.

As the dust settled, I mused
over what to do. Everywhere I looked, nowhere felt quite ‘right’ for Blackthorn.
Then a bizarre twist of fate struck befitting of a work of fiction. I was
contacted by Oliver Rhodes, founder of Bookouture. He knew of me and my stories
– afterall, as the ex head of Marketing at M&B UK, New Voices was his brainchild.

And now here I am today.
Following the critically acclaimed Blood Shadows that launched last November,
today is the release of book 2 in the Blackthorn series, Blood Roses. Blood
Torn will be out in the Autumn.

If you’re in the position I
was once in – still chasing that publishing dream – hold on as tight as you
can. You never know what is waiting beyond tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I'm kicking off a new segment on The Hot Pink Typewriter today, and it's all about life After "The Call." For so many years, you are busy writing, reading, submitting, waiting, and then suddenly, that phase ends and new one begins. What happens next?

It's a false assumption that the work is over when you sell your book. This is something I hear across the board from other writers. It comes as a bit of a shock, really, that all the sweat and tears was just the beginning, and that there is still more and more work to do before the final product is in your hands. There may have been revisions before you sold the book, but there are usually more revisions after you sell the book, too. As for the excruciating experience of sending your manuscript out for judgement, and the long days and nights that follow, the waiting game doesn't end when you sell your book. It will still be many more days and nights before the book is released, and while the experience is slightly more anticipatory than anxiety-filled, it is never easy. I received "The Call" from Harlequin Special Edition in February of 2012 for the book with the not-quite official title of 'Twas the Week Before Christmas. This book will release in December of 2013. As a person who has admittedly struggled with patience basically all my life, the 22-month wait between selling my book and seeing it on the shelves has been considerably longer and more excruciating than the wait time between submitting and selling.

As your release date nears, there are more stages your book will go through before it is finally in your hands, and this week I had the pleasure of filling out my art fact sheet for the book cover. I have been looking forward to this experience for a long time, and though I so clearly envisioned the characters and setting while I was writing the book, the actual process of jotting down my suggestions for the cover was a little more overwhelming than expected. All at once, this felt real. I was afraid to mess up and put so much as an incorrect shirt color, for fear I would have to live with it for all eternity. Will they even go with the shirt color I chose? Who knows, but just in case, anxiety set in. Describing my characters was the easy part -- after all, hair and eye color and a few other characteristics pretty much sum it up. The setting, however, took a bit more thought, and the reason is probably because the setting of my book (a New England inn at Christmas) is the hallmark of my story. I had described the inn in great detail in my book, I could see it in my head, but how could I convey it in a way that it could be visually recreated?

Next I was asked to draw on scenes from the book for inspiration. As a writer, you create scenes that are central to the story, that flow with the plot of the book. Suddenly I was being asked to look at scenes from a different perspective -- which scenes would not only be visually appealing, but which ones would also convey the heart of the story? In the end, I chose two of my favorite scenes from the story, as well as a third that was more inspired by my story, but which I think would be my personal favorite. Which will they go with? One of my ideas or one of their own? Once again, the wait begins!

Soon (I hope) I will see the vision I created so vividly in my head on paper -- not in words, but in a picture, which is a strange concept for a writer. The next phase of this long journey will begin shortly, and I will be sure to share that in my next After "The Call" segment!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

I honored to
introduce a longtime friend of mine, fellow HPT mate and Harlequin Romance
author, Ami Weaver. She’s here today as a guest to tell us about her exciting
debut, “An Accidental Family.”

Congratulations Ami!
This is such a special moment for you. Thank you for sharing it with us.

A bump in the road…

The moment the stick turns pink
Lainey Keeler's life is turned upside down. She's still aching from past hurts,
and single parenthood wasn't planned, but, marveling at the tiny life
fluttering inside her, Lainey knows she'll do anything for this baby—on her
own.

Firefighter Ben Lawless is tormented
by memories of the friend he couldn't save, and a pretty pregnant woman living
on his land is an unwelcome distraction. Still, as Lainey's determination and
spirit tempt him out of the darkness, he wonders whether he can have the family
he's convinced himself he doesn't deserve….

Ami has graciously
agreed to giveaway a copy of her debut to one lucky commenter. Believe me when
I say I’ve read some of her stories in the past and you don’t want to miss out
on this book. I’m just dying to read it. At last the postman has arrived with it and it's next up on my TBR pile.

Thanks, Jennifer! I hope you enjoy it!

Ami, could you tell
us a little about “An Accidental Family”?

Sure! Lainey Keeler is determined to make her flower shop
work on her own to prove to her uber-successful family she’s not a black sheep.
But an unexpected pregnancy and meeting Ben (who is battling demons of his own)
throws her off her course and forces her to reevaluate what she really wants
from life.

How did you get the
idea for this story? Did the heroine come to you first? Or the predicament the
H/h find themselves in?

The first line came to me first, actually. I wrote that
down, and eventually the book evolved from there, but it took a really long
time (this book took years). In the original draft, the hero was the father.
But given his conflict, that wouldn’t have worked.

To actually hold your
very first book in her your hands must be a dream come true. Would you mind
sharing some details about your path to publication? How long had you been
writing before receiving the “Call”? Any major challenges along the way?

I’d only written a handful of full manuscripts before I
sold. A few partials in there, too. I started writing romance about 10 years
ago but it came and went as I had more kids and less time. But I got serious
about publication a couple of years ago. So family and young kids were a
challenge as was this particular book. There was a time when I couldn’t even
turn on my laptop without panicking. I couldn’t make it work, couldn’t figure
out why, and I stopped writing for awhile. I’d just freeze up. It was no fun. I
entered it as a lark into Mills&Boon’s New Voices contest and freaked when
it finalled. That pushed me to rework it and I entered it in the Golden Heart
as well, where it finalled under another title. The editor who read it for the
Golden Heart remembered it from New Voices and bought it from there.

Every writer I’ve
ever talked with has a particular place in a book that they find challenging,
what part would that be for you? Beginnings? Middles? Ends? How do you conquer
these problem areas?

Beginnings! For sure. The exception was An Accidental
Family. The first three chapters came easy. The rest was like pulling teeth on
an angry lion. But generally, I have to edit the beginnings the most, because
I’ve learned to just kind of start the book and it always changes later. This
used to cause me stress. Now I know it’s just how I work. Accepting your
process, even if it’s messy, is key. It was for me. Otherwise, if you’re like
me, you’ll grab chocolate instead of writing. Which is bad on many levels.

With a family to care
for and other life demands, how do you make time to write? Do you have daily
word/page count goals?

All four of my kids are in school now, so I go to a coffee
shop in the morning to work. (Fewer distractions!) I write pretty quick and on
a good day I can easily get 2k in a couple hours. If I need to, I make up time
on weekends. If I’m editing, I set a weekly goal, that I’ll get through X
amount of chapters by Friday. (I always try to pick Friday, no matter what day
I start and adjust the total accordingly.)
Editing is a little harder to quantify with pages and words, especially
when I’m taking stuff out and adding things in and it can be a wash.

If there was one
thing you wished you’d have known before you got published, what would it
be?

That selling isn’t the end of the journey! Oh, I knew it
wasn’t in theory, but until I sold I had no idea what a change it really is.
Working under contract is very different from writing what you want, when you
want--even setting your own deadlines. Don’t get me wrong--I’m very grateful.
But it was a bit of a shock that the pressure ramps up.

What’s the title of
your next book to hit the shelves? When can we expect it?

Thank you for sharing
the exciting details of your debut. It sounds absolutely wonderful.

Readers, please don’t
forget to comment. I know Ami would love to hear from you. And for everyone who
comments, they’ll get entered for a chance to win a copy of Ami’s debut. I
don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything better than a free book. J

Monday, April 1, 2013

It is such an honor to be chatting today with my oldest and closest friend, Natalie Charles, on the release of her debut Harlequin Romantic Suspense, THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET. Natalie and I have shared many firsts in our long friendship -- first loves, first heartaches, first children, and of course, first chapters! I can still remember reading the first draft of the original first chapter of THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET, and I am just so thrilled and honored to be sharing in the experience of the book's final release.

Love never dies, but can it kill?

He never meant to speak
to her again. Back in Arbor Falls for a funeral, Special Agent Nick
Foster has moved on. He has no plans to stay in his tiny hometown--or to
reunite with the beautiful Libby Andrews. His onetime fiancée broke his
heart, and what's past should stay buried.

Libby doesn't want his
help. Her childhood sweetheart can never know the real reason she ended
their engagement three years before. But when a serial killer targets
her, she must team up with the rugged agent for her own safety.
Something in her past has put her in danger, and the passion they've
reignited puts their future in deadly jeopardy.

Natalie will be giving away a signed copy of this book, so be sure to comment below for your chance to win!

Congratulations on
the release of your debut Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Natalie!
Can you tell us about THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET?

Thank you! THE
SEVEN-DAY TARGET begins when FBI Special Agent Nick Foster comes back home to
Arbor Falls, New York and learns that his ex-fiancee, prosecutor Libby Andrews,
appears to be the target of a serial killer who leaves six signs over six days
before killing on the seventh. She cruelly broke off their engagement, but now
he has no choice but to protect her, even if it means putting his heart at
risk.

Can you
tell us a little about your journey toward publication?

I've been
writing for as long as I can remember, but mostly I focused on short, literary
fiction. I decided to write romance about two years ago (actually, you inspired
me, Olivia!) and my first attempt was horrible and promptly rejected by
Harlequin Intrigue. I revised the manuscript and submitted to Harlequin
Romantic Suspense, and in the meantime I began developing THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET
for Mills & Boon's 2011 New Voices Competition. I won that competition and
received the Call. It seems like it happened quickly, but really, I've been
writing forever. It wasn't overnight by any means.

This book
was the winner of Mills & Boon's 2011 New Voices Competition. How did that experience shape your writing?

Just
entering the competition was a great experience. I learned a ton by reading the
comments that other writers left on my first chapter during the competition,
and some of those comments ultimately helped me to shape certain elements of
the plot. Overall, I learned what readers respond to and what they dislike, and
I try to keep that in mind when writing today. It's funny because you can read
a hundred different "how to" manuals, but nothing quite compares to
individualized feedback from beta readers about your writing.

I have
had the honor of reading both versions of THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET and they differ
in more ways than just word count. In lengthening the story to fit the new Romantic
Suspense guidelines, can you tell us how this version stands apart from the New
Voices Anthology edition?

When I
won New Voices, I was required to write a book that complied with Harlequin
Romantic Suspense's word limit at the time, which was 55-60k. When the
manuscript was complete and I received an offer from HRS to publish with the
line, I had to increase the word count to 70-75k. Rather than adding a couple
of chapters or a subplot, I chose to almost completely rewrite and re-imagine
the book. The underlying story is the same, with a serial killer who leaves six
signs over six days before killing on the seventh, but the plot is
restructured. For example, Nick was asked by Libby's father to protect her in
the anthology version -- a fact that carries a lot of significance -- but in
the Harlequin Romantic Suspense version, Nick learns about the threat on
Libby's life through an old colleague at the Arbor Falls Police Department.
This version also introduces some secondary characters, including Libby's sister,
Cassie. It's difficult to compare the two, really. They're very different.

What
inspired you to write this book?

I don't want to give
anything away, but I wanted to write a story, first and foremost, about a
couple that was facing a particular challenge. As it evolved, the book became
more about perfectionist Libby coming to terms with what she views as her
imperfections. In my mind, she is the person who grows the most over the course
of the book, as Nick helps her to slowly tear down the wall she's built between
them. Romances are often about the heroine helping the hero to become a better
man, but I wanted to make this about the heroine's journey, as well. Every
woman deserves a man who helps her to become her best self.

If you
had to choose, which would be your favorite scene or moment in THE SEVEN-DAY
TARGET?

It's
definitely the happily ever after. I love these characters, and their journey
is so emotional that I wanted to give them the happiest ending I could imagine.
I cried when I wrote it, and sometimes I still tear up. Yes, I write about
serial killers and I cry at happy endings.

You have a full-time
job, a toddler, a dog, a husband, and a baby on the way. Though I know you so well, it still amazes me
that you find the time to write. Tell us, what is your writing process?

I wish I
could pretend I had a real process! It often feels more like flailing around in
the dark until I hit something that feels like a story. I begin every book with
a lot of brainstorming. Like, lots. I rewrite the first chapter over and over
and over, and when I am satisfied, I move on to the second chapter. It feels
obsessive at times. I find that once I get a solid three chapters down, I know
where I'm going. Saggy middles haven't been my problem so far -- for me, the
challenge is in crafting the right opening. After that, I write to get it all
down and revise only when I feel like I've gone astray.

As you
note, I have a full schedule. My only time to write is at night. Expecting a
child has slowed down my writing dramatically, but on the nights I can keep my
eyes open, I love that time when I can escape into a different world for a
couple of hours.

What is
your position on balancing social media/promotion with writing and all of
life's other responsibilities?

I tried
to keep up with social media for a while, I swear. The trouble is I work full
time, so I don't have the time to be active on Twitter and Facebook during
daylight hours, and tweeting at night cuts into my precious writing time. My
goal now is to maintain a modest internet presence, but to devote the bulk of
my free time to writing. I think that writers need to do what works for them,
and for some, being active on social media is part of the job. However, as a
reader, my only concern is that my favorite authors continue to produce great
books, so that's where my priorities lie.

Can you
tell us a little about what you are working on now?

I'm
waiting to hear back from my editor on my second book and plotting my third.
Notwithstanding what I just said about social media, I promise to provide
updates as I get them! :-)

Thank you so much for sharing, Natalie! For your chance to win a signed copy of THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET, be sure to join the discussion and leave a comment below. For more about Natalie Charles, please visit her website at www.nataliecharlesromance.com

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We're a bunch of sassy ladies who came together because we love romance. We write stories with varying heat levels and we embrace our different perspectives. We don't edit each other, and one member's opinion doesn't represent the opinion of the group....duh.